Committee recommends big budget cuts to council

The Greeley Citizen Budget Advisory Committee on Tuesday recommended that in the 2011-12 budget the city cut 50 full-time employees and end city subsidies to events including the Arts Picnic and Oktoberfest.

Committee members delivered their report, which also recommends potential elimination of transit services, during a work session in council chambers.

The council has begun budget preparations in earnest, having spent the weekend in a budget retreat at Greeley Police Headquarters. In April, the council asked the budget advisory committee to review all city services and prioritize them for fiscal 2011-12.

In April, the city shortfall for 2011-12 was estimated at $2.5 million, so the committee looked to cut that amount from the budget. The city no longer faces that shortfall to its general fund, as 27 positions have been identified to go unfilled for next year, increased federal severance and mineral taxes have come in and the city has been able to book some grants for next year.

Mayor Tom Norton said that the original $2.5 million shortfall could balloon to at least $5.5 million if the three ballot measures pass.

“If 60, 61 and 101 (pass), then the kinds of things (the committee) is talking about, we’re going to have to dig in more deeply and say, ‘OK … they’ve given us good information as to where those (cuts) ought to be,’ ” Norton said.

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Since 2007, amid the economic downturn, the city has eliminated 66 positions and cut all raises for union and non-union employees.

Norton questioned the recommendation to eliminate the city’s economic development manager position, saying, “I’m not sure how you transfer those duties, because I don’t want Upstate Colorado to do the city’s work” when Upstate is primarily focused on regional economic development.

Andrew Romero, of the committee, explained that the city’s community development department and Upstate Colorado work on job-creation efforts, and that the city’s economic development position could be incorporated into either entity.

On the idea of privatizing the community events, committee member Alex Zauder said, “We thought of those events because they are not essential services. Even though the savings would not be large, with the other cuts that need to be made, those non-essential services should probably be taken out of the budget.”

Councilwoman Sandi Elder defended the economic development post because it has “Greeley’s interest at heart.” She noted that deep cuts to leisure services could have unforeseen consequences, such as potentially higher crime rates among youth.

Also, she said, “There’s a segment of our community that really relies on our transit. I’m looking for a happy balance on that.”

Committee Chairman Jason Sylvester said the committee did not view eliminating the police department or shutting down the wastewater treatment plant, for example, as feasible options, so it went where $800,000 was available to be cut. That turned out to be transit services, he said.